Al/KClO3 safety

[rthmjohn]

What is the SAFEST way to mix these two substances? I don't want to blow my limbs off!

[rthmjohn]

I hear KClO4 is a safer oxidizer but I'm guessing the blast effect isn't as great.

[latentheat]

Depending on the fineness of the Al powder, this mix (called flash powder) can be very dangerous.

 

I dunno...I'd be leary about mixing a chlorate with a fine reducing agent. Perchlorates are safer.

[H2SO4]

Perchlorate is much better. NEVER USE CHLORATE IN FLASH POWDER! Perchlorate is plenty powerful and more stabile. Anyway, if your going to do this, it must be done with the diaper method, no other way! Look up "diaper method: or something.

 

 

You will barely notice the difference between chlorate and perchlorate.

 

 

How fine is the mesh of your aluminum, German Dark?

 

 

Anyway, are you trying to make explosives? If so, id use granulated black powder. Much safer, and plenty powerfull. Here is the link to the page i made on wikipedia about the stuff: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lift_powder

 

 

 

Mods, please dont give me warings for this post, becuase 1., i told the poster to use the diaper method (which is the safesty method of chemical mixing) and 2., told him to try using granulated bp instead of flash, which is a much safer explosive. And 3., i recommended him to use perchlorate instead.

 

None-the-less, YT will close this thread i bet.

[H2SO4]

I think he got the idea to make the stuff from my post in the thread about burning materials that are bright.

 

Anyway, just be safe when you do it, and use common sense.

[akcapr]

after grinding each to desred "fineneses" put them togethewr in a container and shake them together non-vigorously.

[woelen]

What is the SAFEST way to mix these two substances? I don't want to blow my limbs off!

There is no safe way to mix these two substances. If you just want to do this for a fun experiment, then take mg quantities in the open air (e.g. 100 mg of KClO3 and 35 mg of Al, giving slight excess of KClO3). If you want to do more serious work making fireworks, then I would say, don't do it with Al+KClO3. There are safer and equally powerful mixtures.

[YT2095]

a pinch of Boric acid it used to stabilise it also, it pervents certain reactions taking place during long term storage.

[jdurg]

In reality, however, it is NEVER a good idea to store ANY explosive mixture/compound. If you are even going to make them at all, you make what you need when you need it and not any more. The only thing that can happen when you try and store explosives over a long period of time is a loss of expensive chemicals, property, and lives.

 

Remember, there is no such thing as a 'safe explosive'. All explosives are inherently dangerous. If they weren't dangerous, they wouldn't explode. It's a catch-22 of sorts.

[EL]

Remember, there is no such thing as a 'safe explosive'.

The only type of safe explosives I know of that are usually better stored away are my jokes.

As soon as one is exposed to them they "burst" in laughter.

[YT2095]

there aren`t many "Unsafe" explosives, the only ones that really qualify are the unpredicatable ones, that`s the only UNSAFE factor in ANY explosive.

that and the bozo mistreating them!

[H2SO4]

after grinding each to desred "fineneses" put them togethewr in a container and shake them together non-vigorously.

 

 

I would never put flash in an enclosed container and shake it.

[akcapr]

i would. its better than grinding, and its not liek theres alot of friction involved.

[H2SO4]

opening the container causes friction.

[weldermanx]

C-4 and gelignite are pretty safe both cannot be detonated except with cap. gelignite itself will burn like cloth or candle wax but not explode unless it recieves a concussion from a cap

[weldermanx]

None-the-less, YT will close this thread i bet.

if YT closes this thread ill laugh so hard. in one thread, hes telling this one guy how to light thermite

[H2SO4]

And you point is? He was telling someone how to ignite thermite, so?

[rthmjohn]

I safely made a mixture of .5 g German Dark Al and 10 g KClO3 avoiding static and heat. I lit it outside with a magnesium fuse and it was pretty fastinating (did not explode, just burned brightly and very hot). Just so you all know, im not a wacko and I do not make explosives without knowing the necssary precautions, and I would never store them! Additionally, i would never make an explosive in large quantities or an explosive capable of destroying property or harming myself or anyone around me. I would say that im a safe and responsible citizen chemist. Why do you think I asked about the safest way to make flash powder?

[EL]

Just to give you an idea how serious "safe experiments" can get dangerous.

In collage, one of the chemistry-hobby-club-members wanted to try out making a synthetic precious stone.

He reported to have built a fire-wood fuelled melting furnace and he placed in its peak-jet a carborundum crucible. The top of the furnace was completely sealed and I saw its pictures. The wind blew into the base of the furnace carrying great heat up and out of the door passing through the peak-heat-jet.

In the crucible he mixed some ingredients including Aluminium chips and a powdered oxidizer. He said he blocked the crucible with a 30kg high-carbon-iron-block and closed the door with a red-pink-brick.

After operating the furnace he urged a friend to stay away, at least 30 feet, because he was not sure if it will hold up. Suddenly, he said, a horrible explosion accompanied by the red-pink-brick flying right at his friend who was 30 feet away but right at the door's direction; fortunately, he said, that friend jumped right up and landed right after the brick have passed between his legs under his balls.

[rthmjohn]

Don't have a furnace at my home...

[EL]

Do you have balls?

[YT2095]

this is OFF TOPIC again, lets get back to it eh

[rthmjohn]

So what's the deal with using chlorates at all? If perchlorates are so much safer, then why do people still use chlorates. Is it because perchlorates/aluminum don't have as high a reaction enthalpy? I looked online and noticed that both chlorate and perchlorate cost about the same, so I wouldn't imagine that cost creates preference of one over the other.

[YT2095]

KClO3 is traditionaly used in flash powder, as I mentioned earlier here, it contains stabilisers too.

Perchlorates are used also in fireworks, but most often for rocket engines and certain types of Stars.

avoid Sodium chlorates at ALL COST! they`re not on more susceptible to moisture but they`re more sensitive too.

you DO get more Oxygen from Perchlorates but the ignition temp is also higher so its use is limited to certain applications in order to get the best effect. KClO4 is also Not sensitive to the addition of Sulpher (another bonus).

[rthmjohn]

Could an aluminum/perchlorate mixture be ignited with visco fuse? And does perchlorate release it's oxygens to produce KCl?